During the hiring process, you can use this sample of Sales Engineer interview questions to assess candidates’ skills. Please feel free to add or tweak questions based on your specific job responsibilities.
Interview questions for sales engineers
Sales Engineers provide technical support to clients in collaboration with the sales team. A background in engineering is required, as well as the ability to explain technical details in an understandable manner. In addition, these individuals explain how products can be used to solve the problems of clients. Employees in this role will need to possess a thorough understanding of the product in order to be able to present its benefits to a non-technical audience. Be on the lookout for candidates with experience delivering presentations or interacting with customers. Problem solvers who are proactive in addressing the needs of clients are the ideal candidates.
The Sales Engineer may have to collaborate with other employees, such as Engineers and Product Managers, depending on the company. You can use these interview questions to determine whether candidates are a good match for your organization by evaluating how they work with teams.
Questions related to operations and situations
- If your suggestions failed to resolve a technical issue for a client, how would you proceed?
- What are the advantages of using [X] product over those offered by a competitor?
- There is a request from a key potential client for a feature that we do not currently provide. How do you respond to the prospective client and whom do you contact about it?
- You believe that your manager has set an unrealistic goal. What is your response to this?
Questions specific to a particular role
- How would a typical sales call for a Sales Engineer look like?
- Do you have any knowledge of our products? What type of customers do you think we have?
- How has software been helpful to you in your work? What are the reasons and how do they work?
- Can you tell me more about your experience with remote access software?
Questions related to behavior
- What has been your greatest success in generating leads? What was the source of the lead?
- If you are using complex technical terms in your presentation, how do you ensure that your audience understands them?
- When it comes to communicating technical details, what has been your greatest challenge? What steps did you take to overcome this challenge?
- What motivates you to perform well at your job?
- Please describe a successful sales project you have worked on. How did you contribute to the team and who did you work with?